(November 18, 2013) OXFORD, England — The new Mini made its worldwide debut today at Mini’s UK production plant in Oxford featuring an all-new vehicle architecture, an evolutionary design and a range of new fuel-efficient engines to give owners even more fun behind the wheel.

A £750 million investment across three of BMW Group’s UK manufacturing facilities marks the launch of the new car with a new 1,000-robot body shop at Plant Oxford, the debut of new technologies at the steel body pressings operation in Swindon, and new machining and assembly facilities to produce a new generation of three and four-cylinder engines at the Hams Hall engine plant near Birmingham.

The investment means additional job security for the 5,500 associates currently working in the UK Mini production network. Besides a new state-of-the-art body shop, the Oxford plant also benefits from upgrades to its paint shop, its final assembly area and from a series of initiatives reducing the operation’s carbon footprint and improving its waste management processes.  The introduction of the new Mini has also seen a significant investment in the most extensive workforce training program undertaken at the plant.

Even though there’s instant recognition — something which comes from having such a globally identifiable design — the new Mini is completely new from the ground up in an effort to optimize its styling, function and performance.

With its market launch in the spring of 2014, the new car offers an enhanced standard specification, an extensive range of options to allow customers to adapt the car to their individual style, higher comfort levels, comprehensive safety technology including pedestrian protection and more innovative networking technology.

Longer and wider than its predecessor, the new model provides more interior space for both the driver and passengers. Extensively revised suspension technology, reduced weight and increased rigidity have intensified the typical Mini go-kart feeling.